KoSong

making sense of loose coffeeshop talk, political analyses and comments

How should we judge a government?

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

In Malaysia, if you don't watch television or read newspapers, you are uninformed; but if you do, you are misinformed!

Why we should be against censorship: Publicity is the very soul of justice … it keeps the judge himself, while trying, under trial. - Jeremy Bentham

"Our government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other. " - Ronald Reagan

Government fed by the people

Career options

Prevent bullying now!

If you're not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist? “Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit, tapi selama ia tidak menulis, ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah.” - Ananta Prameodya Toer (Your intellect may soar to the sky but if you do not write, you will be lost from society and to history.)

MyCen News

Friday, March 27, 2015

DAP might be safe in Penang, but PKR's current position in Selangor is very dependent on PAS's support. Just by teaming up with Umno and Najib will be able to regain the coveted crown jewel. Perhaps, this has been the main reason for Umno's feigning support for PAS's Hudud in Kelantan. But it has also put Najib in a difficult position at the national level where he might lose his Fixed Deposits in East Malaysia.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Ex-Law Minister, Zaid Ibrahim and ex-DPM, Musa Hitam, were among the first to openly object to PAS's initiative and passing of the Bill on Hudud in the Kelantan State Assembly.

While we are waiting anxiously for PM and Umno President, Najib to open his golden mouth on the matter, more and more leaders from both sides of the political divide as well as NGOs and private individuals, have come out to state their objections to hudud. Leaders in Sabah and Sarawak are generally opposed to it. Their support (aka 'Fixed Deposits') had been vital to keeping BN's rule. We can understand the dilemma Najib is in and we can see through his objective of having hudud to cause a split in Pakatan Rakyat. This has almost been achieved with DAP announcing their opposition to Hadi as President of PAS, but not the political party.

So far, two ministers have openly stated their objections to any introduction of a Private Member's Bill on Hudud in parliament. Many people are of the opinion that these two statements are indication of what Najib's stand will be like. In other words, PAS President could have been taken for a ride for being given the false hope of seeing the success of hudud in Parliament.

Nazri Aziz on Hudud: Stupid to discuss something that won’t happenFormer de facto law minister Nazri Aziz has dismissed PAS’ high hopes to see the Islamic penal code implemented in Kelantan.

"No need to discuss something that will not happen. It’s stupid for anyone to even be discussing Hudud," Nazri, the present tourism minister and first Umno minister to dismiss Hudud openly, told reporters in the Parliament lobby, The Malaysian Insider reported.

According to him, the Hudud bill could only be passed by amending the Federal Constitution which required the support of two-thirds of the legislators in Parliament.

Nancy says nay to hududNow Nancy Shukri, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, is saying that hudud would be impossible to implement in Malaysia.

Nancy, the de-facto Law Minister, is the second Barisan Nasional minister after Umno’s Nazri Aziz to comment that PAS’ attempt to push through a Private Member’s Bill to amend hudud laws would fail.

Nancy, who is from the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, said punishment for offences under the Islamic penal code would clash with those provided for under civil criminal laws, reports The Malay Mail Online.

And implementing hudud might result in "double jeopardy", she added.

"I am in agreement with Datuk Nazri. It is just not possible… In Sarawak, I don’t think they will get the vote for hudud.

Zairil: Muslim DAP MP rejects PAS’s hudud as ‘man-made’ law 'The DAP national assistant publicity secretary stressed that criticisms against the implementation of hudud come not just from non-Muslims and the public, but even from Islamic scholars.

"For example, renowned Islamic scholar Professor Tariq Ramadan has called for a moratorium on hudud because the world has changed and it’s no longer conducive for the implementation of hudud," said Zairil.'

'PKR central committee member Latheefa Koya said Friday that the hudud law that PAS is pushing for is not in line with Quranic teachings, noting four differences between the holy book’s teaching on hudud and Kelantan’s hudud enactment.'

Lim Kit Siang: Najib should be given another 48 hours to make his statement on the stand of UMNO/BN MPs on Hadi’s private member’s bill on hudud implementation in Kelantan'In fact, Najib’s failure to announce UMNO/BN’s opposition to Hadi’s private member’s bill would itself be a tectonic shift in the cardinal nation-building policies which the country’s first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein, the Barisan Nasional and before it, the Alliance, had previously espoused without any equivocation.

In fact, all the previous five Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein, Tun Mahathir and Tun Abdullah when they were Prime Ministers would have no hesitation to declare that hudud law is against the Malaysian Constitution and unsuitable for a multi-racial and multi-religious nation like Malaysia.

If Najib is not prepared to declare what the previous five Prime Ministers would have no hesitation in doing during their premiership, it means that the UMNO/Barisan Nasional under Najib has deviated from previous UMNO/BN policies.'

Monday, March 23, 2015

An icon of different things to different people, either you love him or hate him, he was without doubt, instrumental in developing Singapore from almost nothing since kicked out of Malaysia (again depending on interpretation), to a first world country to be emulated by developing countries.

Just imagine a small country (often referred to with disdain, as a 'little red dot') without any natural resources, other than human, could be transformed into a developed country ranking high in terms of per capita income. Nothing is perfect, the excellent results come with a price - that of personal freedom. Singapore is also known as a 'fine city' as in people are likely to get fined for numerous offences unknown to other countries, with the best example being 'no chewing gum is allowed'. No smoking in most places, no graffiti and so on.

The main reason for its success seems to be meritocracy, one of the best criteria for choosing personnel to fill different positions regardless of race or origin. This has the effect of attracting top talents in different fields from all over the world to Singapore to help make it what it is today.

The passing of Lee Kuan Yew will not see the end of his name being used for comparison with other world leaders. May his soul rest in peace.

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'This was Lee Kuan Yew's actual living room. I think most HDB flats have better furnishings and decor than his. It speaks volumes of the priorities of the man. He was not ensnared by the trappings of wealth and hence was not greedy for the dollar. Greed will inevitably result in compromising principles and ideals, which may put him on the path of making "wrong decisions". Someone who lives in this room ... I'd trust him whole-heartedly with public finances and the country's resources, don't you! Hence the room is not so much a reflection of his frugality but a showcase for his definitive values in life.' - Malaysia-Finance Blogspot.

Lee Kuan Yew once uncovered a CIA plot, turned down a $3.3m bribe and embarrassed the US'Apparently, a CIA agent had been caught trying to purchase information from Singapore intelligence officials. He then offered Lee $3.3 million for personal and political use if the failed affair was kept under wraps.

From The Malaysian Insider: Without PKR, PAS can still push through hudud bill'Dr Wong Chin Huat of the Penang Institute said the bill required only a simple majority of all MPs present in the Dewan Rakyat at the time of voting. This means PAS can get it through if all Umno MPs also say yes to it.

It is not a case whereby PAS and Umno need 112 votes, a simple majority, in the house in order to get the bill through, said Wong, referring to a common misconception about passing legislation or amendments. If there are enough MPs who support it in the Dewan Rakyat at the time of voting versus those who don't support it or those who abstain from voting, then the bill passes.

Parliament has 222 members. PAS has 21 MPs and Umno 88 and if the latter said they will support it, then it would bring the number of MPs who support the bill at 109. In order to defeat the bill, there must be at least 110 votes against it. The only way the bill can be defeated is if almost all PKR, DAP and the other Barisan Nasional MPs who opposed the bill, come out to vote against it in the house.'

Malaysia Boleh Perception Dictionary

Bangkok

Dubai

kosongcafe

LAW OF COFFEE: As soon as you sit down for a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

Acronym

I have to live with my acronym, Kosong (Malay for Zero). Had I started with just 1 before accumulating the 0, I would have been a millionaire!

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Batu Gajah KTMB Station

A Monument of Development at the expense of Convenience a.k.a. White Elephant (for the first few years when it was built before service commenced. Since then, the train service proves to be convenient. So users have no choice but to use it despite its inconvenient location. That's why KTM can ignore our request for a stop at the old station.

A reminder of my Petition

Symbolic of residents' appeal and KTMB's 'Kami Tidak Mahu Balas'. Note KTM responded on Jan 5, 2010 - awaiting a study on the suggestion. This notice shall remain until something is done. 5th Anniversary of No Action yet. Arrogance of a monopolistic entity?

Link List

“Always tell the truth. That way, you don't have to remember what you said.” - Mark Twain

"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

Wisdom of a Retiree

WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES; it takes away today's PEACE. I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.

My Ong Badge...

Needs a Mansion to match

Wang

The Chinese character for king - 王- reveals a great deal about the nature of rulership: the three horizontal strokes represent heaven, humanity and earth, while the vertical stroke which holds the celestial, existential and terrestrial realms together and apart symbolizes the upright, honorable and noble qualities required to maintain balance and harmony on all levels. - Antares

Contributors

Be simple... it is not easy!

It’s easy to let your thoughts and worries complicate your life. But it takes great strength to be simple. - Monica Kupfer.

Politically correct, quotable quotes

"I am only one, But still I am one.I cannot do everything, But still I can do something;And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." - Edward Everett Hale

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing - Edmund Burke

Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress. - Mahatma Gandhi

You must be the change you want to see in the world. - Mahatma Gandhi

Think before you whine

Each day,before you say an unkind word - think of someone who can't speak;

before you complain about the taste of your food - think of someone who has nothing to eat;

before you complain about your husband or wife - think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion;

before whining about the distance you drive - think of someone who walks the same distance by foot;

and when you are tired and complain about your job - think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job;

before you complain about life - think of someone who went too early to heaven;

and when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - put a smile on your face and think: I'm glad I'm still alive and can move around!

Advice on relationships:

"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment" Benjamin Franklin

Sometimes, it is better to be kind than to be right.

Don’t let someone become a priority in your life, when you are just an option in his or her life.

Always be yourself because the people who matter don't mind, and the ones who mind, don't matter.

A true friend is someone who says nice things behind your back.

Forget about the people in your past...They didn't make it to your future for a reason.

To the world you may be just one person; but to one person you may be the world.

Cause of problems with Mother-in-law:

Every mother hopes that her daughter will marry a better man than she did, and is convinced that her son will never find a wife as good as his father did!

Acknowledgement

Contents were from various sources, and some originals had been edited. My blog serves to inform and hopefully, entertain as well. Please consider it an honour if any of your materials had been used and that it was interesting enough to be shared, for which I am thankful. I apologize if there is unintended infringement of any copyright and would readily remove any materials upon request.